Old Factory Visit is an annual gathering on an island in Old Factory Bay, located about 50 km south of the Cree Nation of Wemindji. The island is significant because it is where many Cree people used to spend part of their summers fishing, after traveling to the coast from where they wintered inland. 

 

The Hudson Bay Company established a trading post in Old Factory Bay in the 1930’s, and so Cree people would travel to the islands regularly to get supplies. Some even chose to live there permanently, resulting in a community that flourished from the 1930’s to 1958. It was in 1958 that this community re-located to Paint Hills, where Wemindji is today.  

 

The Visit, organized by the Cree Nation of Wemindji, takes place mid-summer (the last week of July) every year. During this week, residents of Wemindji and East Main arrive by freighter canoe, paddle canoe, or sea plane to spend the week socializing and remembering such a time when many families lived on the island, a period in history that is remembered fondly.  

 

[All information above has been adapted from, “A Visit in Time: Ancient Places, Archaeology and Stories from the Elders of Wemindji” by David Denton (Cree Regional Authority/Cree Nation of Wemindji, 2001), and you can find more information about the history of Wemindji and Old Factory Bay by reading the short book.]

​

​

* This was the first event that I ever photographed. At the time I did not have a high quality camera , nor did I have the confidence to "be in people's faces", so to speak, to capture all the moments. Thus, I do not feel that this gallery reflects my best work. I am including the collection because it was a memorable event, and I do think the photos reflect that.